Young Heart
by kkattapiya
Summary: Joel and Ellie went to Tommy's. Now they can live a normal life, can't they? Small addictions from the prequel's comic "American Dreams".
1. Chapter 1

**Hi, guys. I reaaaally recomend the comics and beating the game before reading this fic. Now that Naughty Dog registered TLOU 2 and 3 domains, what should we expect? Well, that's what I think - putting aside any new game plot's lead.**

"_No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for."_

**YOUNG HEART**

From up there Maria gave them the signal to clear the way. Slowly Tommy shows up behind the gate, holding a timid smile in his lips and a rifle in hands.

"You finally made up your minds."

Returning the hug, Joel said "Y-Yeah. In the end, neither the Fireflies kept the will to find a cure". He looked to Ellie that was awkwardly watching the brothers in front of her.

"Do you still have a room for us?"

"Heh, always, Joel."

"C'mon, Ellie," said Maria, "I bet you're hungry."

"Yup".

The afternoon passed quickly. Tommy showed them a spare room Joel and Ellie could place their belongs. There's a bunk, a desk and a wardrobe big enough to support the few clothes they gathered through their journey.

After placing themselves, they split up. Joel followed Tommy the whole day – not having time for Ellie. When the two of them met again, Ellie and the others were already having dinner in a room full of steel long tables.

Joel knew some things about the bad time Ellie had during her staying at a boarding school. He could feel Ellie's discomfort.

"_It'll be different here"_, he thought, _"Nothing's gonna happen with the girl now."_

Ellie looked at him and Joel discreetly smiled back.

_Nothing._

* * *

She chose the upper mattress. Joel didn't even complain about it. Even though it was almost vanished, the wound he got in Colorado still hurts every now and then. He knew his body needed some rest and climbing every night wasn't a good idea.

Both tucked in, they were ready to get some sleep.

Or they're supposed to do so.

Joel puffed and spoke it up.

"Ellie, would you mind keeping yourself goddamn quiet?"

"Sorry, Joel", rummages, rummages, "but it can't be helped. This is so fucking cool!"

"What?"

"The mattress!"

"Come again?"

"Man!", she lowered her head so he could see her, "Do you realized how long we do not sleep in a proper bed?"

And then Joel got it. He lived in a time he had a king sized bed with the best mattress his salary could buy. These mattresses were _shitty_ to say the least. After all they went through, though, he could agree with her. That shit was better than nothing.

He chuckled, "You're right, Eliie."

"I know right."

"Let's enjoy it _quietly_, shall we?"

"Psh… Okie, oldman. Okie."

That word went right in Joel's mind. He felt an icy thing going on inside his stomach.

"Oldman".

You may think he was shocked due such teenager's prepotency but no. Joel felt his little girl would call him just like that if…

It's inevitable not to touch his precious broken watch.

* * *

"Alrigthty", she says with both hands in the hips, "First adventure day."

Ellie looked up to Joel who's drinking some hot drink.

"What are we gonna do?"

Before he says anything, a bald man called him, saying Tommy needs him up there. It looks they were having some hydropower problem.

"We got this."

"'We'?"

"Yea. I mean, we've been already there. We can fix it."

"Haha!", a man behind her said, "Leave the hard work to the big guys, kiddo."

Ellie didn't like what he said - the way he said. Neither the smile on those men's faces, the childish caress on her hair. Or Joel just leaving with strangers and being called "kiddo".

She doesn't appreciate at all.

Joel only came on light at night, after dinner.

That kept going for a week at least.

* * *

Ellie decided to live along with the rules. If Joel brings them there, he sure knows what would be the best. It wasn't so hard to socialize and act like a normal kid. Watching TV and playing around.

"_It's not that hard."_

It wasn't. Before the last dream she had.

* * *

****

So? What do ya'll think about it?

**Thanks for reading. I REALLY appreciate this and your comment/post/avaliation makes me more than fucking glad. Don't be afraid to do any constructive criticism. I'm already working on the 2nd chapter.**

**'till later, then? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**The convo between Riley and Ellie did happen in the American Dreams comic; and if you read the comics, you're gonna know which Ellie's line here is actually Riley's *merong* :))**

* * *

**YOUNG HEART **

**CHAPTER TWO**

At first it was all darkness. A normal sleep state.

"Hey".

And called again.

"Heey! Wake the fuck up, new kid."

_New kid.  
_

"Riley?", Ellie whispered while opening her eyes. She found herself and her best friend in the old mall Winston lived. Not being able to remember when the conversation began, she got they're talking about horses.

"Horses", Riley said, "have an _aroma_. It's cows and pigs that stink."

_"And humans."_

She kept talking about a horse ride but Ellie didn't pay attention. Something was bothering her.

"Are you _trying_ to get kicked out?". Riley froze. "Break enough rules and they _toss_ you with the general population. Is that what you're gonna do?"

While Ellie caress the animal, she was setting the saddle up.

"No. That's not the answer. Those people get assigned some shitty job for the city and they barely get enough rations to scrape by. You still end up a slave to the system."

A _slave_. That was a heavy word and a heavy world. Since she got to know Riley, Ellie was aware she would be sixteen really soon. Everyone who's 16 become a soldier. Riley didn't want that and was planning her way out of the institution.

The younger girl thought that was craziness at first. No one can face the superiors or get out. "_There are concrete fucking walls surrounding us. They are high as hell, man. And we're only kids…"_. Despite her thoughts she felt something unique in her tiny heart. Looking at that girl's eyes made her cultivate a thing she never had before: hope.

"Just… _enjoy_ this ride. Okay?"

Ellie remembered answering "Okay" but the moment was in her hands again.

"No."

She jolted awake in the bunk, She could feel the sweat rolling down her forehead. Mixing with salty tears.

"No…"

* * *

When Joel woke up the bedroom was empty. He stood up and changed clothes for another day of hard work. Tommy told him a horde of infected seems to approach their territory. What means they should be prepared to attack anytime soon so no one was allowed to trespass the gate without Maria's permission.

The morning passed by quickly while the brothers helped each other on building another fence around the camp. One by one they chopped little pieces of wood, crafting them with sharp ends - a nice strategy to hurt infected ones; at least when they turned into Clickers.

"Run and die, motherfuckers", said Tommy, "That's the way we play."

"I figured already, baby brother. Really hope that works to protect the kids."

"Don't worry, Joel. Maria already worked on a Plan B… and C, actually. After the wooden fence, we have the concrete walls where we planted some bombs."

It wasn't the first time Joel noticed that expression in his young brother's face. When he talks about Maria, he lights up. A different – _"dorky"_ – smile makes its way in the shy man. He wonders what happened while the two brothers were separated. Not that this matters at all. He was happy for being there to presence the good change. Back when Tommy was with the Fireflies, he was upset. Because of the world, because of her niece… Humanity could be bad most of the times but lots of innocent people died without even making their lives in the society. So why did they deserve such ending? That was one of the things that made the young man rages.

Gladly he left the resistance.

"… We can play with our babies as well.", he reloaded his rifle, "No one will ever touch Ellie again. I promise you."

Joel was surprised. Since her biggest loss, he found easy to cover his feelings, emotions. But Tommy was Tommy. He couldn't deny it and that made him laugh.

"That's great. Otherwise I'll kick your baby ass".

Both laughed.

Joel's changed too. Tommy could see his once bitter brother smiling again. It's rare but he was getting used to it with Ellie beside him.

Ellie. He felt sorry for her. Since they arrived, Joel tried to be as useful as possible, not having much time for the girl. He's planning to talk about it next weekend. Joel assuming or not, Ellie's a daughter to him after what they've been through… What he has done.

"Joel, let's fix the end of the fence. Then we can eat."

"Roger."

At the fence the men noticed a little motion starting. Tommy impersonated the bossy self and walks firmly till the others.

"What the fuss is about?"

"To-Tommy, sir.", a young boy said, "We don't know how. We weren't expecting such move."

"What move?", Joel and him loaded their weapons, "Did the infected arrived already?"

"N-Nah…", the boy looks over his shoulder, "It's not about the infected."

"About who then?"

"The new kid."

* * *

*Crack*

*Crack*

*Crack* *Crack*

"Goddamnit", he whispered, "So much noisy things down here."

Joel, carrying his backpack is going down the forest holding a shotgun. Ready to shoot, he looks both ways and back to check if anyone – or _anything_ – was following him. He traveled for almost a year but he never gets rid of this habit.

After the kids talked about Ellie's escape, Joel didn't lost any time thinking about where and who would go catch her – he just went out with his faith, experience and courage. Despite Tommy's will, yes. Along with the fatherly feeling grows up into the man.

Seasons before Joel didn't like the idea of being around a child again. After all these decades he managed to build a safe wall between himself and the others. Tess was the only one that could come close to him. But then she died. A part of him came up with thoughts that would blame Ellie for the death but he knew it wasn't. The girl was aware of nothing in that mess. The Fireflies manipulated all to make things go accord their plan.

The plan of saving the world.

The sun started to rest when he found the plushy thing like a purple Cyclops Ellie used to attach to her backpack. She must be near.

And so the clickers.

Running as fast as he could, following the foot prints – not to say "his heart" because that's too cheesy to our dearest Joel – he spotted a tiny light up one of the innumerous ravines. And there she was backed up in a trunk, lantern being hold with the mouth, comics in hands.

"What the fuck. 'To be continued' again?" – she closes the magazine and searches for something else to read – "Ain't nobody got time for that. I should have kept Bill's magazine…"

"Ellie."

"Yo, Joel."

"'Yo'?", he approaches, "Do you have any idea what the hell you did running away like that?"

No response.

"That's _reckless_, Ellie. Didn't you hear the crew talking about clickers coming in? The crew-"

"Crew, crew, crew. The _crew!_", covers her eyes, "It's all about 'the crew' since we've got there. Fuck that, Joel!"

They finally looked at each other that day.

"I know exactly what you're talking about, but this is necessary. We need – _I_ need to be useful for the group so we can live there. I don't want us to be a burden there so I'm working so very hard to make things comfortable", he sat on the trunk, "and outta blue you go out like this, like a prisoner."

"Exactly who I'm thinking I am."

"Excuse me?"

"Joel, I…", inhales, "That's not the way, ok? That place, that life. I'm sure you too are not satisfied with _this_. You can't be."

"Ellie, make sense."

"I'm not spending the rest of my life with someone tellin' me who to shoot and where to shit! I wanna a place where we can _live_, Joel. Puttin' aside all the shitty in the world. I know we can make it. And so do you."

In that moment Ellie was standing in front of Joel already. Gesticulating with her arms like she always does, she put on the table all her thoughts.

_"She's not a kid anymore"_, Joel started to think, _"She's a big girl for a long time now."_

He shouldn't be worrying too much. As he observed through their journey, Ellie is able to take care of herself. Even running away was a childish act from adult's eyes, the ravine she decided to drop by was full of gravels, branches, trunks and tall trees. She would be able to hide or at least buy some time if it happens to some foes come to her.

"Clickers can't climb that much – neither Runners. It was getting pretty dark, I was quiet. And! They are not affected for the light", she rushed to show her point, "I'm not a _kiddo_, you know?"

Joel laughed. "This really glued on you, didn't it?"

"Yeah. Kiddo my ass."

Joel remembered again how Ellie made him feel. How Ellie could makes him smile, laugh and be in peace on his own after 20 years of suffering. And this always comes along with his guilty for what happened back in the hospital. All the blood he has in his hands.

"I have too.", he looked up her almost haunted, "I know what you're thinking. Since we get out the hospital. Joel…"

He couldn't deny: he was afraid indeed. Ellie step by step came closer to him. He felt those once soft hands cupping his rough face. That firm looking in her eyes.

"I don't know exactly, but I can guess what happened back there. I happened to learn that sometimes we just hold in things that suit us – being true or not."

"Ellie-"

"And this isn't a bad thing! You know, I came to realize I wasn't the key for salvation. Or even if I am indeed, I don't care. I didn't live in your time but living with you made me see that humans lost their _humanity_. There's nothing to do with the sickness anymore. I'm sorry but I can't help with that. I really can't."

"What do you want?"

"I want a place for us? Where we can be away from those damn infected, in peace. Live our lives as much normal as possible. We both know we don't like much company… and I can't obey rules you didn't set up to tell ya the truth.", she felt him smile in her hands, "Is that asking too much?"

"Am _I_ asking too much if I say to stop cupping my face?"

"Oh. Is that wrong? I've read in a serious shit."

"No. I mean, we do this with people we love."

Surprised, she answered: but I do love you.

She _never_ stops amazing him!

"Not like that, Little One. About your question: no, it isn't too much. I was getting tired of all this bullshit anyway.", they laughed, "but we really have to get back. Grab our things, talk to my little brother."

"I got it."

"I won't abandon you, Ellie", he offered his hand to her, "You know that, don't you?"

She hesitated for a while looking at him. Her green eyes glimmered in a way they rarely do; and then she nodded, taking the offered hand.

"Good. So let's go back, baby girl."

* * *

**That's all, folks. I just think they should live together in a quiet place. Sorta hermit? Yea. But humans those days are not worth socialization.**

**Hope ya'll had a nice reading. 99% of chances for me to add an extra with Billy helping them move, giving 'em things. Maybe about his sexuality, too.**

**Take care and don't let anyone put you down! :))**


	3. Chapter 3

**YOUNG HEART**

**CHAPTER THREE**

"What are you giving to her?", asked Ellie, all curious about the new event happening in their lives.

"Grass.", calmly answered Joel. He was too busy to give Ellie the attention she demands.

"And you think she will keep living with only that?"

"That's what she was eating till we find her. And this is what the ones from her kind used to eat in my time, anyway."

* * *

The two of them managed to find a place with Maria's help. The truth was Maria also once thought about moving with Tommy. Of course she's the boss for those people but every woman needs some privacy every now and then. Either way, she told them that when they found the abandoned quarantine zone the group has passed by a small farm, isolated from everything, everywhere. That'd make a nice place for the little family Ellie was building.

And then the four fellows went there.

Things were surely rusty and a bit broken. "Nothing we cannot fix, though" said Tommy. In least than a month the place was habitable and Joel and Ellie moved.

Ellie came to the conclusion that was the right thing to do. While she helps Joel a little while he improves the small house, her job was chopping and cleaning the supplies both happened to find in the woods.

Why she chops? Well, Joel knew it she was good at chopping for some untold reasons.

One day Joel shut himself in his room. Ellie guessed he needed space so she didn't bother him. It was that day she first heard a peculiar sound out of their house.

A _moo_.

"Joel!", she yelled yet whispering, "Joel!".

"What's up, Ellie?"

She finally reached to top of the stairs. Puffy, she asked him to wait and the noise came again.

"What the actually fuck was that, Joel!"

He started laughing – that tired laugh only he has – making Ellie confused. Why was he laughing? Maybe what was out there could be another species of infected and they would be spotted by his laugh.

She decided to wait. Joel was Joel. He'd never make such mistake.

"You really are a newbie."

"Wha-?"

"Come with me."

* * *

Downstairs with Joel, they found a cow. Her state was depressing. Too skinny.

However, that was days ago.

They took care of her and now the unnamed animal was getting bigger. Joel hoped she would give them some milk or in latter case – what he would never tell Ellie - , she could be some nice meat on the table.

"Hey, Joel… Hm, it's not like I keep staring there but don't you think her _tits_ are kinda stuffed?"

Score!

"Indeed. It means we're going to have some milk."

"Woah, really? It's been ages since the last time I drink this white thing."

"We'll taste sooner than I expected, uh."

This was another day in the peaceful environment they started living. It wasn't much but they could live as normal as possible in that shitty world. To add more normal things to the list, Joel surprised Ellie when he came from the second door holding something.

"Holy…", she stopped eating sausages, "Is that what I think it is?"

"If you're thinking right so yea, it is."

"Woah!"

"I told you I would teach you, didn't I?"

All smiles (even being discreet), Joel sat in the armchair beside the young girl, positioning the wooden guitar in his lap.

"It's a bit old but I succeeded repairing the strings."

"That's awesome, Joel."

"You'll be surprised when I start playing it.", her eyes glimmered. Joel looked at the guitar and said "Let's rock, babe."

"You sounded so badass sayin' that."

He laughed and started playing the old guitar. The strings were still rusty and he was using an improvised pick. The sound came out great to Ellie's ears. When Joel finished, she didn't even notice.

"And that's it."

"Cool. Now teach me."

"Sure thing."

It took an hour to Ellie get the process: how to move her fingers in the strings, not drop the pick but she did it. She knew it was only a verse of an actual song but that was enough so she could call the day.

"Oh, man. That was intense."

"We can practice tomorrow, after get some milk."

"And you can sing next time."

"No way."

"Yes way."

"No 'yes way'."

"Why?", she whined, "I got your ass outta university and I said you were going to sing to me, remember?"

"Urrgh…"

"See?"

"Fine. But you have to play half of a song."

"This is no prob."

"We'll see."

They fell asleep downstairs that night.

Ellie was the first to wake up. After washing her face with the water Joel brang from a close river, she decided to take a look at the cow. Joel said probably that day they will be able to drink some milk and she went there just to check out if the tits were still full.

"Damn, that's so weird". She was crouched beside the cow while she's eating her food. The teats were so heavy it seems they're about to explode.

"I gotta call Joel."

When she turned back, she saw something.

* * *

He slowly opened his eyes, taking the sleep away from them with his fingers. Standing up while looking for his buddy he noticed he overslept. Probably Ellie was pampering the cow as always.

Washing his hair in the sink, he heard a _thump_ and then some yelling outside. Even the cow was agitated. He run to the front door and spot Ellie over someone that seems a male person. He has shoulder-length hair, a thick beard and was calling her "little shit".

_"Damn."_

"Ellie." – he opened the door – "Ellie, stop!"

"Arrgh! We have an intruder, Joel! I stabbed him."

"You what?!"

"Aaaah", the man finally said, "You little piece of shit, you pierced me! I should've stayed in my town!"

"Wait, what?", she said still threatening him with her knife.

"What the hell you're doing here, Bill?"

* * *

**Aaaaand this is it! **

**After the reviews I felt excited and finished this chapter. That's for you, reviewers~ What do you think? The hell Bill is doing there?! **

**See ya later, m8s :))**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank y'all for the reviews, follows and favorites. I really appreciate and try to write a unique response for each one of you. To speed the release process, though, I didn't answer since 17****th**** July. I'm so sorry. But I saw everyone who's interacted, indeed. So, to thank you, here's the fourth chapter.**

* * *

**YOUNG HEART**

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"What the hell you're doing here, Bill?", said Joel. He two-stepped forward to protect Ellie from his friend who's cursing everything and everyone.

"I came here to see with my own eyes – arrgh… if you really kept the girl with you."

"Bill-"

"Hope you came on foot so you'd lose some fat."

"Oh, fuck you!"

"Fuck _you_, fat ass!"

"Ellie!", he shushed, "Please… go inside." And she obeyed – not before changing some glares with the older man. "Anything else?"

"'Anything else?', you say. Why the fuck you kept the girl! I thought you would give her to the Fireflies. What Tess thinks about that? Actually, where is she?"

"Let's… not talk about it out loud, ok?"

"Why? She's still sleeping? Call her to-"

"_Bill_. Not here."

Bill felt something fishy going on so he decided to follow his friend's lead. Joel could feel someone was watching them.

She did go in. But that doesn't mean she would not spy them.

"Ellie, I know you are listening to us."

"…Damn."

"We're going to walk for a while."

"Are we?", Bill asked and was surprised with two improvised fishing rods.

"C'mon."

Sitting on a big rock, the two men were talking while waiting for some fish. Bill has never imagined Joel that way: so peaceful with himself, fishing like no shit is happening outside.

"Why do you let Tess taking care of the brat? Don't tell me you're a family now."

"That's not it, Bill."

"So what?", he thought he'd catch a fish but it was nothing, "No time for mysteries."

"About Tess…"

"Woah! I catch one!"

"G-Great, Bill. Now we have a different dish tonight. Are you going to stay with us?"

"Of course. I have no legs to go back to my town. But what about Tess?"

"We can talk about it later. It won't make a difference anyway."

In the end of the afternoon, before the sunset, they went back home with five fellas. They would sure have a nice feast that night.

* * *

Even being Ellie's job chop the food, that time Joel was in charge. The young girl decided to stay in her room and Joel didn't complain. It was better than having her and his friend fighting every time.

It didn't take too long for the food be done. Before dinner, Ellie went downstairs to the place they made for the cow to feed her, and then went eat. "First the cow, then us." - it was like a ritual already.

Sitting in the floor, the three of them started to eat. Put aside all the provocations between the two childish people, Joel found the dinner great and delicious, and so did Ellie and Bill. The latter, by the way, brought some things when he heard about Joel moving. He brought food – which Ellie was really thankful and thought it was about time to him eat less -, some old clothes and-

"A skirt?", she asked.

"Girls used to wear that."

"For what am I gonna wear a damn skirt, Bill? Walking in the forest chasing butterflies?"

"I don't give a shit for what you'll wear this. I just brought it. So take it!"

"Just say 'thanks', Ellie.", Joel said with all world's calmness.

"_Thanks_."

"Hunf… and I noticed you don't have a table but there's lot of wood outside. I can help you craft one."

"Nah, don't you worry. Tommy and Maria are working on it."

"Ok then."

While Bill was looking for the other things he carried till there, Joel looked at Ellie and she got the signal to go upstairs.

_"Adult shit. Got it."_, she stood up and went to her room.

Bill started talking and Joel looked at him.

"When?"

"Just before meeting you in your town."

"Damn. How are you, Joel? I mean, I deny almost every time but I suffered after seeing my buddy killed himself. Even though that bastard was a douchebag, stole my battery and left me, I liked him."

"I had to, Bill. Not only for me but for…", he looked upstairs.

"You got really close, uh?"

Joel nodded.

"She kinda make me feel that I could be my old self, you know? She awoke what my babygirl started on me decades ago."

"You know this is too cheesy for you, don't ya?"

"Fuck you."

"So do you. And what happened with your business with the Fireflies?"

Always that someone talks about the faction or Joel hasn't his mind busy, they haunt him. It was hard to overcome but he needed it for Ellie. The decision he – _they_ – made has no turning back.

"My friend,", he started, "after all the shit that hit the fan, I don't give a damn anymore. I just think about my safety and Ellie's. I'm not a hero. I never was."

If that was possible, Bill could swear Joel would cry right there.

"I won't judge you, Joel. Like you didn't _that time_."

"Inevitable" would be a perfect word to what happened next. They couldn't help thinking about the incident and laugh.

"Back there I thought I'd be in debt to you forever."

"You should."

"I shouldn't. Time's changed and I suffer no more."

"I'm glad with this, Billy… We can assume the apocalypse did at least one good thing for the world: decimated prejudgments."

"…Ditto."

* * *

It was late at night, she was sure. Her eyes were heavy, sleep dominating her, but the invader wasn't discreet.

"The fuck you're doing, Fat Ass? Stalking a sleeping baby chick?"

"Hell no. You're not my cup of tea."

Thanks to Maria's hydroelectric, they have some energy in the small farm. Ellie turned the lights on and found Bill carrying a lot of stuffs with his hairy arms.

"What's all this trash?"

"It isn't _trash_. I brought these as well because they are just occupying space at my place. And I don't have time or guts for 'em."

He placed all the things he was carrying in Ellie's mattress. Her eyes in that very moment shinned like two emeralds.

"Oh, man. Oh, man. Oh, man!"

"I don't think you have many things to do here, so…"

"Bill! I think I won't insult you anymore," she opened one of the dozens comics Bill has brought, "haha! I just stopped here!"

He snorted and kept in silence. It's been too long since the last time he saw a happy kid. Well, actually, a kid in any mood.

"Uhm, Bill?"

"What?"

"You know I stole some things back at your town, right?"

"Yeah, you brat. I felt sorta empty."

"One of those things were a magazine full of men nake-"

"_I know_."

_"Goddamnit."_, he thought, _"Here we go again."_

As in old times, if he was caught he had to explain himself. He knew people don't think that was normal but what could he do? He just likes that. _That_ is his cup of tea.

_"Let's just say I rather strong coffee, haha…"_, he smiled without realizing he lost himself in thoughts.

"…good taste". That was what dragged him out of his mind.

"Excuse me?"

"I said you have a good taste."

"What…"

That's ok. That always happens. People use to make fun of him and he was used to it. The thing was there wasn't that society's sarcasm in the girl's eye.

_"…the apocalypse did at least one good thing."_

This is it! How he didn't get it earlier? Joel was so fucking right!

Who was in front of Bill wasn't _society_ or one of that kind. The world fell apart and so did all the concepts humanity once created and believed. There is nothing to be afraid of!

Ellie was being really honest with him. She doesn't even realize what she said would put her in a moral bonfire decades ago. She doesn't seem to be offended for Bill's magazine because she wasn't indeed. In centuries of History the schools taught the formers humans, that was the first time Bill saw a little drop, a small fragment.

Of hope.

"Have you ever heard about Adam and Eve?"

"They appeared in the comic? I haven't seen them yet."

Bill laughed, "They are… kind of book's characters, yes. In my time people would kill for that_ book_."

"Damn. That's sick."

"Yeah. Well, in the story it's said they were the first humans. From them everything we had back there was made and achieved."

"Like Humanity's Parents?"

"Exactly. And now the world's shut down. It's possible the fungus will exterminate those infected and no longer infect people that recluse themselves. You know that, right?", she nodded, "And then maybe the young hearts born in this mess will build a better place to live…"

Ellie tried to pay attention to everything her new friend said but sleep took all from her again. He didn't blame her. Before leaving, he whispered alone.

"Perhaps… you are the first of them."

* * *

"See?", said Ellie holding the old guitar placed in her lap, "The whole song!"

"I'm impressed.", Joel answered, "I thought in a month you would only learn half of that."

"I'm special, y'know."

"Yeah, yeah.", Joel noticed Ellie was getting too cocky. Maybe she was in _that_ phase.

"So?"

"So what?"

"It's your turn, old man."

"Ha... I was hoping you'd forget this."

"I didn't. Now, go."

"Okay…", he cleared his throat.

_Row, row, row your boat,_

_Gently down the stream._

_Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,_

_Life is but a dream._

"That's it."

"Damn. You... you should sing…"

She was speechless. Joel knew since he was younger that if things went bad, he could survive singing. He felt satisfied.

"…to _kill _Clickers."

_"What?"_

"You're better milking Gene, dude."

"No milk for you today.".

* * *

**I think this is the true end. My lady cat is very sick and I'm down for everything. She's my friend for 18 years… and ****_I_**** am 18 years, so… I think y'all got it how I'm feelin'.**

**Any new things I'll start another fic. I guess this one is done.**

** I love Fringe series so I named the cow Gene. If you like Fringe as well, you'll understand.**

**Thank you to stay with me until the end. The presence of all of you made me happy in ways you can't imagine.**

**Take care, everyone. I can be back anytime. And if you have suggestions, they all are welcome :))**


End file.
